Has anyone used debt line org uk??

newdawn_2

Hi

Until you receive your first full payment of SSP you are entitled to claim Income Support. You have only received two weeks pymt this month? When is the next pymt due?

Did you take any advice about benefits when you first went sick? If so who from?

newdawn_2

This is how Income Support works..

Paid 30th Jan......Go sick 5th ..Claim Income Support....
Paid Some SSP 3wks 28th Feb...probably still entitled to Income Support until next pymt 31st March.

This is because SSP can only be taken into account when you recieve it. If you only receive 2/3 weeks SSP it is taken into account across the whole of the next month.Therefore you are often entitled to income support until you receive your first full payment of SSP

majormax

Thanks again for great advice and support. Didn't sleep much last night I have to say and the crying wiped me out! IHowever,I rang Job Centre first thing and they said I needed proof from my accts dept that it was in fact SSP that I had been paid and if so, it should be a minimum o £79.15 per week, so they didn't know where the £118 had come into it. I was advised that if it WAS SSP then I needed to get an SSP1 and then ring them back. I contacted my work and the guy was away from the office for the day, so still waiting on them getting back to me! I then had an email from CCCS, asking me to amend a couple of things on my SOA. I did this then rang them. Advised me to call their own Benefits department and see if I was entitled to anything and to read through the booklet they were sending me. Rang up and she went through circumstances with me and said it didn't look like I was entitled to anything. Looked again, and said I may be entitled to help with my council tax whilst off sick and it could be backdated but that seemed t be all. She advised me to ring my bank and mortgage lender which I had planned on doing anyway. I have to get back to them once I hear from work. Rang my lender and they advised me to cancel the direct debit due out on Sunday, as it was too late for them to do it. Asked if I could pay any small amount, so that the mortgage won't be fully in arrears. Said I could ask my Mum for £50 and he said that would be fine. Then set up the direct debit again in readiness for next payment due on 28 March and that they would try and just add a bit on each month from the missing payment. I explained that I was having a struggle paying the £500+ each month as it is, so not sure what will happen. I rang my bank and cancelled the payment. Also rang the housing association to see about sorting the second element of the mortgage to them. They were brilliant and said that they will give me a payment holiday and just cancel the standing order, but will set up a direct debit for me for future payments and they will only carry on with the usual amount next month and not take two payments in one go! I then contacted my local council, explained the situation to them regarding my council tax and they agreed to cancel DD. Instead of taking two payments next month they will spread the cost onto my next year's payments (starting in April) from 28 Mar to 28 Dec, taking my payment to £115 instead of £90 and if my circumstances change, I can pay the missing month and notify them and they will revert to the normal rate of £90. I have cancelled my DD to the Gym. No doubt will be hearing from them shortly, but will just ask if I can "freeze" my membership until situation changes. Fingers crossed. CCCS told me to set up a DD for my TV licence for the next 12 months which is due out on 28 Feb. Don't think the Bank will be paying that out, as I have already gone £12 over my draft due to their charges this month. I was coping ok with paying all my bills (never had any month left for food or anything else) and of course it was a HUGE struggle, but should I try and get past things this month or start the DMP and take 10 years to pay my £9,000 debts off? Havn't cancelled my life insurance yet, its £11 a month and something I feel I should have with paying a mortgage. Am about to go online and see if I can reduce my car insurance today. I was hoping that CCCS would get in touch with my Bank re my overdraft and credit card to try and freeze the interest and stop the charges. If this info is in the booklet they have emaile to me, please forgive me for asking the question, I just havn't gotten to it yet, with trying to do all of this today! It's these things that are "killing" me.

majormax

GP signed me off on 13 Jan. Usual salary was paid on 20 Jan I think (little earlier than usual because of getting paid early early before Christmas). Nothing paid into the Bank until yesterday, my usual pay date and that was the £118. Didn't speak to anyone about this prior to taking time off, as I didn't think I would be off work for so long. This has just stressed me out more than I already was! aargh..

majormax

This is a great pointer, thank you so much. I am not sure if I can do this online, but I will take a look when I am done writing this. I had even thought this morning about trying to join a credit union, which I had been considering for some time ago as an additional means of saving to help my daughter with her wedding this year, but this won't be possible now So at the risk of sounding stupid, do I open the Co-Op (if I can) then move all of my DD's over and still keep my HSBC account open? Is there anything else I should be speaking to CCCS about do you think? So grateful for the advice I am receiving on this site, it has been a HUGE help. I long for the day when I am debt-free and can afford to feed myself !

newdawn_2

Who did you speak to at Jobcentre....still make a claim to I.S. If they pay your SSP late you can still claim I.S. Please dont be put off by what the jobcentre say...most of these staff are not fully trained. I know you can claim-worked in benefits for over a decade.

majormax

Oh it's a relief to chat to someone who knows what they are talking about! It was just the telephone number recommended on here yesterday. She didn't . sound too helpful, but this is all so confusing to me anyway. I have only ever claimed JSA on my return to the UK and never been "on" benefits so don't really understand who gives you what So once I get this SSP1 I just get back onto the job centre number do I? Apologies for the long winded thread earlier today but just wanted to let everyone know what a productive day I have had and how thankful I am for everyone's advice and support. Still not sure if I need to go ahead with the DMP if it adversely affects my credit rating long-term (not got my head in the sand at all, just want the best route to take for me), so any advice would be welcomed.

WASHER

I'm so pleased you have had such a productive day and you finally got some advice from the job centre.

Your credit rating will be affected for 6 years if you took a DMP, however if you are going to be late with any payments this month to your creditors, this will also have an affect on your credit rating, don't worry about that though, the most important thing is you have enough money to aleast give something to your creditors this month and of course food which is high priority.

Major, can I suggest you look into Income protection insurance once you get back to work, it is far more important than SKY, the gym or a mobile, especially as your are the only breadwinner. I will have a look if Martin Lewis has any advice on Income protection and I will post it here in a mo.


http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/insurance/

Many pages in the link above, for you to browse.
WASHER.x.

majormax

I have checked co-op online but can't see the basic account. did you go into the high street bank to do this?

WASHER

http://www.co-operativebank.co.uk/servlet/Satellite/1193206368743,CFSweb/Page/Bank-CurrentAccounts?WT.svl=copy

Is this it?